Wolf-Shape-shifter
'''Wolf''' '''Shape-shifters aka Wolf-Shifters ''', often mistaken as werewolves, are descended from the ancient spirit warriors of the Quileute tribe. Back then, warriors and chiefs could leave their bodies and wander as spirits, communicate with animals, and hear each other's thoughts. However, a change impacted the tribe members hugely during Taha Aki's leadership and permanently changed their powers to shape-shifting into giant wolves.are a breed of supernatural individuals that have the ability to shift into wolf form at will, and not because of the full moon. When a member of the current generation comes across the scent of vampires, his physique will build before he phases for the first time. Shape-shifters of the Quileute tribe are also called '''Quileute werewolves'''. Origin The legend goes that one spirit warrior, Utlapa, wanted to use this power to enslave neighboring tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs. Unwilling to use the warriors' powers for such monstrous purposes, his chief, Taha Aki banished him from the tribe. One day, the chief left his body in a hiding place to sweep through the valley in his spirit form, searching the area for anything that may pose a threat to the tribe. Utlapa followed him and possessed his body, then cut his own body's throat to prevent Taha Aki's return. The chief wandered for a while in spirit form, watching the thief do horrible things to his people. One day, the chief's spirit found a large, beautiful wolf in the woods. Though jealous of the wolf's physical form, an idea came to him. He asked the wolf to share his body with him, and the wolf agreed. Rushing back to the village as the wolf, he met a party of warriors, and tried to make himself known by yelping Quileute songs. One of the warriors, an elderly man named Yut, realized that the wolf was under a spirit's control, and, disobeying the usurper Utlapa's orders not to enter the spirit world, left his body to talk to the beast. The false chief, alarmed at Yut entering the spirit world as he feared that his treachery would be revealed, killed the warrior. Taha Aki became enraged, and lunged to kill the man; his emotions were too much for the wolf, and it transformed into a magnificent human, the glorious flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's flawless spirit. The false chief was killed, and things were rapidly set right. Taha Aki sired many children, and found out that his sons, at the age of manhood, could transform into wolves as well. That is how the shifters came to be. The whole pack is made of the descendants (to however many degrees) of that original wolf. Thus far, Leah Clearwater is the only known female ever to phase.They have rivalries with vampires,as they both prey upon human beings,vampires out of need,wolves because of convenience.The Volturi also refuse to tolerate truces or alliances between wolf-shifters and vampires, under no punishment however. This only means that the Volturi can choose to kill the Shifters if they wish too. Nature Being that they descend from Children of the Moon, Wolf-Shifters have inherited partial werewolf traits and certain behavior habits. They are extremely violent and unpleasant creatures, they seem to already have started rivalries with vampires, as both of them feed on humans. Shifters are very aggressive, even in human form.Most activly hunt humans,and all participate in fights to determine pack alphas,whether the loser wins or dies depends on the victor. Wolf-shifters always comsume the heart of theyre victim,usually killing them by clawing through theyre torso or tearing through theyre throat. Their bodies are usually decorated in scars from past battles(''even though they heal incredibly fast,if the wound is deep enough it will leave a scar'') and many have multiple tattoos,with each pack having a certain symbol to represent theyre bloodline,and it does not matter where the shifters wear this,as long as they recieve a tattoo after theyre first full shift.Wolf-Shifters are rare,as in the 12 century they were hunted by vampires as unlike werewolves they can change outside the full moon,making them very powerful enemies.Vampires hunted them with silver weapons,and used they're increasing numbers against the wolves.because of this,Wolf-shifters are now rare and full packs are very hard to come across. Becoming the Wolf Humans can be turned into Wolf-Shifters by being '''bitten '''by a wolf-shifter ''(in wolf form,contrary to they're werewolf predecessors)''.They can trigger the wolf-shifter abilities in a human who already carries the wolf gene.They do this through draining the 'human" of they're blood and feeding them they're wolf blood.This is extremly dangerous and rare,as the human can easily die of blood loss and the wolf gene could still be untriggered after the attempt.Because of this,wolf shifters are rare. Gentic inheritance all, wolf-shifters get their abilities from there parents.To make sure the children will become Wolf-shifters, male partner should be shape-shifter, female shapeshifter cannot give birth or her fertility system is no more after the shape-shifting occurs. Only male shape-shifters can give birth. They imprint on the normal or regular female. They always make hybrids ''both will still have either twins or triplets,derogatorily called by vampires "litters"). ''. Anyone in the family line of a wolf-shifter can obtain the "wolf gene". If a relative has the gene, they are not yet shifters - they simply carry the gene to become one and are often aggressive or angry in their personality. The gene, however, can be triggered by anyone in the bloodline,and "human" children who's grand parents or uncles were wolf shifters will become wolf-shifters themselves once they hit puberty. The life of a Wolf -shifter When young, all the descendants thinks that the shape-shifting is a myth. When crossing puberty they happen to shift their shape, they can't keep secrets because while in wolf form they can hear pack's thoughts, so there are no secrets. Wolf woman are rarely happened when in desperate need. So when a female comes in a pack all of them are a bit annoyed. One pack has only one True Alpha, on alpha's command the whole pack obeys, Until the shape shifter's they can shift and not age, but once they decide to not to shift they start to age regularly. Let it be after 100 years and they are 18 when they first shift, that means after 100 years they will start to age from 19. Appearances Each wolf's distinctive color and characteristics correlates with each wolf's true self. Quil Ateara V and Sam Uley joke with one another that Sam's black fur is due to his "black heart", while Quil's chocolate-brown fur reflects how "sweet" he is. No real explanation of this phenomenon is given; none, perhaps, should be sought for - variability is the one fundamental of living beings. Active shape-shifters crop their hair short, as the length of their hair correlates with the length of their fur. The "monstrous size" of these creatures is emphasized repeatedly. This links clearly with the actual changes in the boys as well, which Bella notes, although she doesn’t connect the two phenomenons until later. She describes the shape-shifters as "four really big half-naked boys." As humans, they are between 6'0" and 7'0" tall, and after phasing become bigger, more muscular, and harder in look and substance. Their voices also deepen considerably. The wolves become similar in their human forms, partly due to their appearances (hard-muscled bodies, unusual height and cropped hair) and the synchronization of their movements, so that they could be mistaken for biological siblings. Phasing The instinct to phase is only triggered when a tribal member crosses the scent of vampires and senses the tribe's need of protection. There's no exact age to determine whether the member is old enough for the gene to activate, only the numbers needed to counter the numbers of approaching vampires. The transformation generally occur roughly when a boy reaches manhood, and is accompanied by a sudden growth spurt lasting for about two months. Only males were believed to be able to phase until the transformation of Leah Clearwater, which surprised everyone, even though "she is a direct descendant of the spirit chiefs." The transformation can happen at any time, and is not dependent upon a full moon, unlike the Children of the Moon. In new shape-shifters, the change is involuntary, since they have not yet learned to control it. Phasing often occurs due to a loss of temper. The effects of this sort of transformation is shown in the relationship between Sam and Emily, and the disfiguring injuries she suffered when he lost control near her. Transformation or "phasing" is a sudden and violent process. The initial transformation seems to be triggered by anger, as explained by Jacob when he tells Bella about his first transformation. He phased later than most due to his happiness with her, and then all it took was his father telling him he looked weird to set him off. To become human again, the shape-shifter needs to calm down and concentrate on phasing back into human form. Jacob's point of view explains the transformation back into human form: ''"... closing my eyes and pulling myself together again. It felt like the air was trembling around me, shaking out from me in small waves. I lifted myself up on my hind legs, catching the moment just right so that I was fully upright as I shimmered down into my human self."'' Jacob seems to find phasing between wolf and human form more swiftly than most. Jacob later explains to Bella that this swiftness may stem from his ancestry to Ephraim Black, a tribal chief. It could be because Jacob is also Quil Ateara II's great-grandson and he has inherited the shape-shifting gene from both sides of his family. Generally, it takes practice for a shape-shifter to learn how to phase back and forth. However, he seems to have a better control over it than most, even able to phase in a flying leap. Wolf-Shifters can assume two separate forms - human and wolf. Skilled shifters can also assume "wolf" characteristics or even transform a small part of their body (for example, "growing" fingers into claws or teeth into fangs). Shifting between forms takes a great deal of energy;most Shifters must feed immediately after changing to wolf form and collapse into a comatose state for several hours after returning to human form Older Shifters do not need to feed immediately after shifting,as there bodies are use to the change, but are extremely tired. Shifting happens at will,unlike werewolves. When one is born with the Wolf-shifter gene and triggers their powers, it is a few hours after when they are able to shift. The shift can happen at any time, and is not dependent upon a full moon like werewolves. For younger wolf-shifters, the change is involuntary, since they have not yet learned to control it. Shifting occurs due to a loss of temper, and can shift from the slightest provocation. '''signs of imminent transformation''' If a tribe member meets both conditions for transformation, he will go through a number of physical and psychological changes. First, a male will undergo a noticeable growth spurt, affecting both height and musculature. For a female, the physical changes are more subtle, mainly denoted by definition of muscle rather than bulk or height. Both males and females will then experience a drastic rise in body temperature, one that a typical human would be unable to survive. At the same time, he or she will begin to have dramatic mood swing and brief, sudden episodes of nearly uncontrollable rage. When the transformation is very close, he of she will begin to tremble and shake during these moments of rage. '''Phasing:'''After the shaking begins, the first transformation, or phase, can happen within seconds if the affected person does not calm himself. All the initial transformations are triggered by rage, until the Wolf-Shapeshifter can learn to control his reactions. The actual act of phasing last only an instant. There is no gradual shift, no in-between form where the Wolf-Shapeshifter appears to be a mix of human and animal. Because the wolf has more than four times the mass of the human, to an outsider the change looks explosive as the human expands to the size of the wolf. This impression can be intensified if the Wolf-Shapeshifter did not have time to remove his clothes before phasing; the clothes rip apart from the pressure of the expansion, adding a tearing sound to the otherwise soundless transformation. Young Wolf-Shapeshifter are often unable to control their phasing, shifting forms whenever they feel anger. This unpredictability, combined with the massive size of the wolf form and the suddenness of the phasing process, makes Wolf-Shapeshifter dangerous to any humans in proximity to them during the change. Standing too close to a young Wolf-Shapeshifter during phasing can result in unintentional injury, or even death. Power & Abilities Wolf-Shifters are simply a separate biological lineage to Werewolves, at the most lower level Children of the Moon that can assume a full or true wolf form instead of just a wolf-like creature. Both a human form and wolf form far exceed the capabilities of the best of bot species, putting them right on par with Vampires. They possess super strength, endurance, healing, senses, speed, agility, dexterity, longevity, and reflexes. All of these traits are enhanced in wolf form, and vary from shifter to shifter. * '''Super Strength''' - In human form, their strength is just above that of the strongest human being capable of tossing humans, snapping necks, tearing off limbs and cracking concrete. In wolf form it is twice as much as a average wolf, making them a even match for a vampire. Because of how equal the two specias are, a fight between a vampire and wolf-shifter is very violent, and the winner usually is determined by experience and luck, not strength . Wolf-shifters possess the strength of vampires in wolf form, meaning their strength is more advanced then a shape-shifters. While in human form, their strength is superhuman, In their wolf form, not only they much larger than normal wolves, they are also supernaturally stronger. In this form, their strength is incredible and nearly equivalent to that of a vampire. A full pack can easily overpower and kill any vampire, and, as seen in ''Eclipse'', is a formidable force when dealing with an army of newborns. Bella notes that Jake handles her "too roughly", and that, when he hugs her, it's so "crushing" that it nearly suffocates her. He doesn't seem as aware of his strength as the vampires, but this could be due to the newness of his phasing.Discussing being a wolf with Bella in ''New Moon'', Jacob explains, "It's what we're made for, Bells. We're strong, too," showing that the wolves are linked by both strength and ferocity. * '''Super Speed''' - Wolf-shifters have this ability in and out of transformation. However, the speed is increased well in wolf form. In human form, they can outrun a wolf, catch sprinting deer, and keep pace with a motorcycle. In wolf form they are twice as fast, easily, as the fastest wolf and can catch vampires. Quileute wolves reach great speed, in excess of one hundred miles per hour, which allows them to outrun motor vehicles. According to Jacob, it is better and faster than a motorcycle, and that is "the best part" of being a wolf. Being compared to vampires, they are very similar in their supernatural speed. It is stated that a fast wolf can outrun an average vampire and, conversely, a fast vampire can outrun an average wolf. This indicates they are quite equal in their speed.Even in their human forms, shape-shifters are easily faster and have greater endurance than all humans: "Then I turned and sprinted through the parking lot, across the road, and into the bordering forest. He flitted into the trees, swift and sleek as a deer." (Jacob Black, ''Breaking Dawn'').The wolves caught Laurent, showing that they are as fast as or faster than most vampires; however, they were unable to catch Victoria, who is an exceptionally fast vampire and gifted with self-preservation. Bella says: "I couldn't imagine the wolves running faster than a vampire. When the Cullens ran, they all but turned invisible with speed." This may have to do with the werewolves being quadrupeds (using four feet to run) as opposed to bipedal vampires. It seems that speed is their real weapon, along with the exchange of thoughts within the pack that makes them able to coordinate when they hunt.Their reflexes are highly developed: "With stunning speed, Jacob yanked a can opener from the counter and launched it at Jared's head. Jared's hand flicked up faster than I would have thought possible, and he snagged the tool just before it hit his face." Also in ''Eclipse'', at the Quileute bonfire, Paul harassed Jacob into giving him his hot dog. When Jacob flung it across the circle, Paul caught it easily before it landed in the sand. * '''Super Agility''' - All Wolf-Shifters possess superhuman agility. They can move, jump, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion.they can do tings such as back flips,bound up trees,and run on all fours easily and without strain. * '''Accelerated Healing''' - Shifters are able to snap all their bones back into place after being broken and have been seen to be unphased by injuries from gunshots, stab wounds, and torso impalement. This makes them very hard to kill. Wolf-shifterss can recover from any wound besides that caused from silver, which effects shifters the same as conventional weaponry effects humans. If they lose a limb,they can stitch it back on and it will heal back to the body, but the limb will be weak for a couple days. * '''Super Senses''' - Wolf-shifters have extremely acute senses, even in human form. They can also smell things such as fear. They can hear a person's heart beat or the blood moving in the body , even in human form. Wolf-Shifters can quickly tell a vampire from a human, a human from a shape-shifter, a human from a werewolf, or human from another Wolf-Shifter by scent.The senses of shape-shifters rival those of vampires. Like vampires, they can see, hear and smell things from miles away.Their sense of smell is so adjusted to help them identify their one enemy, vampires. It is not clear whether it is heightened in other circumstances, but they certainly know vampires at a distance, finding their smell sickly sweet and repellent.However, some shape-shifters can get used to the smell of the vampires, such as Seth Clearwater and Jacob Black in ''Breaking Dawn''. They both spent time with the Cullen family, and feel more comfortable than before around vampires.Shape-shifters' eyes are extremely sharp and can see very far. Jared is known to have the best sight in the pack. Their sense of sight is known to be ten times better than the average human, twice as good as the average bird of prey's. It is unknown if shape-shifters can see into the invisible spectrum of light, like vampires. Even in their human form, a wolf can easily recognize a vampire. They see much more than the characteristic paleness, eye color, and beauty. To wolves, a vampire appears reflective and angular, almost like moving crystal.They all have excellent hearing even in their human forms. In ''Breaking Dawn'', Jacob was able to hear Quil playing with Claire at First Beach from his bedroom. Seth Clearwater is known to have the best hearing in the pack. * '''Longevity''' - Like vampires and werewolves, Wolf-Shifters are immortal,due to their increased healing. As well, wolf-shifters are immune to all conventional illnesses, viruses, diseases, and infections. * '''Shifting''' - Wolf-Shifters turn into enhanced wolves at will increasing their powers to their peak, and making them extremely dangerous to vampires.They can partially shift well in human form, eye colour changing and growing fangs and claws, and this increases their abilities to that well their in their wolf form. Weaknesses * '''Wolfsbane''' - When ingested, wolfsbane causes a Shifter to become severely weak and feverish until slowly they begin to unwillingly show "wolf" attributes and become feral in mindset,until they completly revert to wolf form. This can take four to five hours. * '''Decapitation '''- By decapitating a Wolf-Shifter it will die instantly. * '''Fire - '''Setting a Wolf-Shifter on fire will burn it to death if the flames aren't doused. * '''Heart Extraction''' - If the heart of a Wolf-Shifter is removed, it will cause instant death. Physiology The skin when they are in human form is “burning hot. Werewolves are clearly the polar opposites of the vampires, with their icy-cold touch and marble-like skin. They are also able to heal very quickly physically. Injuries don’t last very long at all.The actual transformation between human and werewolf is described in most detail in "New Moon’. Certainly the initial transformation is not an easy one. SM said - “The transformation into the wolf form is not a painful process, only disorienting and mentally uncomfortable.”The transformation itself can happen at any time, and isn’t dependent upon a full moon. In young werewolves cases, they can change involuntarily because of lack of self-control.Werewolves are only created when there are neighbouring vampires, so that the Quileute land is always protected.Their sense of pack-identity is strong. So much so that they are capable of hearing thoughts. Even in wolf form, they retain full control of their human minds. This means that all actions are knowing actions, although it is entirely possible for a werewolf to lose his temper and for him to be out of control as both a human and a wolf.Werewolves were believed to be only male until the transformation of Leah Clearwater, which surprised everyone, even though “she’s a direct descendant, all right.”. The issue of imprinting is also critical as this is how the werewolf finds the one person they are destined to be with forever: “It’s not like love at first sight, really. It’s more like… gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it’s not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her.”Their sense of smell has adjusted to help them identify their one enemy. It is not clear whether it is heightened in other circumstances, but they certainly know vampires from a distance and find the smell sickly sweet and repellent. Like vampires, they are also very strong; Bella breaks her hand punching Jake.Wolf-Shape-shifters have a body temperature of about 108°F. Bella feels it first on the way home from the movies in ''New Moon'', when she believes Jacob has got a fever. Vampires' temperatures are lower than humans'; it is possible that the wolves' and vampires' physiological differences reflect the tension between the two species.This high temperature allows the shape-shifters to withstand very cold weather and makes it difficult for them to become overheated. It also makes it very difficult for vampires to harm them in combat, due to vampires being extremely sensitive to high temperatures. After Bella becomes a vampire, she describes Jacob's skin as like "touching an open fire" and "unbearable to the touch."The shape-shifters can heal and regenerate very fast and completely. While not immortal if they choose to quit phasing, these capabilities allow them to continue fighting even after serious injury. In some cases, however, this accelerated healing can be detrimental. After Jacob was crushed by a newborn in ''Eclipse'', his skeleton healed before Carlisle could set his bones, forcing Carlisle to break a number of them to induce proper healing. In ''Breaking Dawn,'' Jacob comments that even a bullet through his temple might not be enough to kill him. However, this healing factor is not completely reliable and can be neutralized if vampire venom is inserted into the shape-shifter's system. While venom alone isn't generally enough to kill a healthy shape-shifter, it can be fatal in combination with other injuries.The actual transformation between human and wolf is described in the greatest detail in ''New Moon''. Certainly the initial transformation is not easy, and is very disconcerting and confusing.While their skin is much more durable than that of a human being (to the degree that the bones in Bella's hand are broken when she punches Jacob in the face), it is not granite hard like a vampire's. In their wolf form, their fangs are strong enough to penetrate a vampire's skin. Bella witnesses this for herself during the climatic battle in ''Eclipse'' when she sees Seth easily biting through Riley's skin.The wolves bear an animal scent that makes them unappetizing to vampires, making it easier for vampires to resist the temptation caused by their blood. It is possible that their scent is less revolting to vampire hybrids due to their half-human sides. '''Pack behavior''' In their wolf forms, shape-shifters show the general behavior of their titular animals, though they retain their human intelligence, memories and character, up to and including showing their human eyes. Pack members are also telepathically linked with each other, enhancing their coordination during hunts and fights but allowing little or no privacy at any time. The Alphas of two different packs are able to communicate telepathically, and can control what thoughts they share, while the subordinates of different packs don't show this ability. The dominant male, the Alpha, can force the other pack members to obey his orders against their will. So can the Beta, though he can't command his own Alpha. Even if it's implied, it is unknown whether this characteristic is also extended down the pack hierarchy. Alpha status is related to lineage, with Sam being the exception due to Jacob, the born Alpha, having no interest in leading the pack. However, should a genetical Alpha be unavailable, it is possible for a pack to select a new Alpha from, possibly, its ranks. Though possible, it is not known whether a lower-ranking pack member can challenge the Alpha for status. Jacob never uses his voice to impose his will on his pack mates, even if he has a stronger power than Sam. In ''Breaking Dawn'', it is found out that Bella Swan is able to mentally shield a whole pack of shape-shifters by focusing solely on its Alpha, with the protection cascading down through the ranks. A comparison with a computer net appears therefore obvious, suggesting that a pack does simply operate as a highly integrated group of intelligent and trained wolves but is almost a neural net with multiple consciousness foci operating together, the Alpha's being the coordinator. This link may also make them invulnerable to mind-based powers. Genetics While treating Jacob, Carlisle takes a blood sample and runs some tests on it. He discovers that they have 24 pairs of chromosomes, one more than a human and one less than a vampire, but the same number as vampire hybrids. The exact nature of the extra chromosome is unknown, but it may carry the genes needed for the shape-shifting abilities of the bearer. The hypothesis is that it is somehow passed down only in Y-chromosome carrying sperm, which would explain why almost all shape-shifters are male, while the occasional extra chromosome being passed down in an X-chromosome carrying sperm could be the basis of Leah Clearwater's appearance. Or, alternatively, it may be that it is passed regularly by both sexes (both males and females) and that testosterone may be needed as a co-inducer for the shape-shifting complex together with whatever external trigger needed for phasing - Leah having a high concentration of testosterone in her bloodstream. Imprinting The issue of imprinting is also critical as it is how the shape-shifters find their soulmates. According to Jacob Black, "It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her." Once shape-shifters have imprinted, they will feel the need to constantly be in their soulmate's presence and to unconditionally give them whatever they want or need. Should the imprintee be an infant, the shape-shifter will act as an older brother; romantic feelings will not develop until she comes of age. Imprinting works on both humans and hybrids. In Jacob's case, his hatred for vampires disappeared when he imprinted on a hybrid. It is shape-shifter law that no wolf may harm the imprintee of a fellow pack member, as this will lead to destructive in-pack fighting. Gallery